Drop In Arrests, Jail Admissions In First Half Of Year

The state on Tuesday reported a 10 percent drop in arrests and jail admissions in the first half of 2015 from the same six-month period of the previous year.

The announcement follows Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's signature last week on a criminal justice overhaul bill, part of the "Second Chance Initiative" that has been a top priority for him in his second term. The legislation - as well as accompanying executive branch policy changes in recent years - is aimed at lowering incarceration rates by reducing penalties for nonviolent crimes and by focusing on reintegration into society after release. The governor announced earlier this year that the Department of Correction had converted part of a state prison into a "reintegration center" focused on helping inmates prepare to re-enter soceity.

In a statement released Tuesday, Malloy's Office of Policy and Management reported that arrests were down 9.2 percent in the first half of 2015. Pre-trial admissions to the state Department of Correction facilities dropped 9.3 percent when compared to the first six months of 2014.

The state's total incarcerated population also dropped 3.2 percent - from 16,551 on July 1, 2014 to 16,025 on July 1 of this year. Last week, the Malloy administration announced that the drop in incarceration would allow them to close a building at the Bridgeport Correctional Center in the coming months. The governor's office estimates that the closure will save the state $2.1 million.